Despite the current board's assertions to the contrary, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is of the opinion that the contracts he gave to Frenkie de Jong and three other players toward the conclusion of his presidency are legitimate.
On Monday, it was reported that Joan Laporta, the current leader of Barça, had spoken with De Jong about the ongoing contract dispute and that they were considering taking legal action due to allegations of "criminality" in the most recent contract he signed.
De Jong, Gerard Pique, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Clement Lenglet all agreed to new contracts in October 2020 that would delay their pay for two seasons but make up the difference in future years of their contracts.
And according to SER Catalunya, Bartomeu is convinced that those contracts are above board as they were signed off by various legal bodies and approved by La Liga.
The 59-year-old resigned from his post soon after handing out those contracts after becoming a universally unpopular figure among fans.
Barcelona’s current board are hoping that De Jong and co will agree to return to terms of their previous contracts – in the Dutchman’s case, the initial deal he signed at Camp Nou in 2019 – should their current deals prove to be illegal.
De Jong has been heavily linked with a move away from Barça this summer, with Manchester United agreeing an €85m fee for him. However, the midfielder wants to be paid around €20m in deferred wages caused by this contract fiasco before considering leaving. Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also interested.